The hours for this year’s event are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and this year’s goal is to generate 2,800 pounds of food for the food bank. The public is invited to join the ASU community by donating canned goods and participating in the Can Roll competition. Contestants roll the canned item of their choice down a ramp constructed by physics students. The top long-distance rollers are awarded certificates and prizes, with a grand prize for the longest roll.

There are two divisions for the Can Roll competition, Stock and Modified. In the Stock division, cans must be rolled in their original state. In the Modified division, cans may be adapted or altered to make them roll farther. However, any cans modified to the point that they are not useful as food items will be disqualified.

While replenishing stores at the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank is the primary goal of the event, SPS students also use the Can Roll as an off-beat science education opportunity.

The SPS national organization prompts local chapters to encourage students of all ages to study science, and the Can Roll is an opportunity to learn about many physical principals, including rotational motion, rolling and friction. Local and area K-12 students are especially encouraged to participate.

The food bank looks forward to the SPS’ annual donation because it brings in many large-sized cans, which experiments indicate are the distance rolling champions. The Can Roll food drive has generated up to 2,000 pounds of food in a year for the food bank.

For more information, call the ASU Physics and Geosciences Department at 325-942-2242.